When aluminium was equal to gold: Can a ‘chemical’ aluminium be distinguished from an ‘electrolytic’ one?
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Abstract
From 1854 onward, Sainte-Claire Deville developed an industrial chemical process for aluminium production, based on aluminium chloride reduction by sodium. The new metal caused a sensation and competed with precious metals. The cost of production remained high for the fi rst 30 years, making aluminium rare. France was then almost the only producer. In 1890 the electrolytic process replaced the chemical process, leading to low-cost mass production. Aluminium therefore has two main periods, the ‘chemical age’ and the ‘electrolytic age’. Dating an aluminium object based on its typology may be diffi cult. A total of 71 well-dated medals, jewellery, and other items from the period 1855–1916 were analysed by PIXE. This paper proposes criteria based on elemental composition. Eight chemical elements, manganese, iron, lead, and to a lesser extent Cr, Zn, Zr, Ag and Sn discriminate, as levels are generally higher in
the aluminium produced by the chemical process. Early analyses show that different grades of aluminium may have coexisted around the transition period between the processes.
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